Understanding and appreciating others can be a first step to building a better world. Stories from each continent highlight differences in cultures and circumstances while drawing attention to the commonality of the human experience. This collection features some of Rachel and Rebeca’s best loved stories for adult and teen audiences.

Ed Wood the man who directed the infamous and unintentionally funny Plan 9 From Outer Space has often been accused of being Hollywood's worst filmmaker but is this criticism fair? In this program, we explore the life of Ed Wood, from his days as a marine Corporal during WWII were he served in the battle of Tarawa to his career as a screenwriter in Hollywood, penning such classics as The Bride & The Beast (1958) and later working his way to directing cult classics as Bride of the Monster (1955), Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959) and Night of the Ghouls (1959). Woods somewhat autobiographical Glenn or Glenda (1953) explored his passion for dressing like a woman. Writer Jim Morton said of Ed Wood; "Eccentric and individualistic, Edward D. Wood, Jr. was a man born to film. Lesser men, if forced to make movies under the conditions Wood faced, would have thrown up their hands in defeat." As a bonus, we will also explore other filmmakers whose works are so bad it proves that Ed Wood was actually quite ahead of his time.

Let’s go where the wet things are in this entertaining program with master storyteller Diane Edgecomb. We’ll act like CLAMS, JELLYFISH and LOBSTERS in the Native American legend: How Whales got their Spouts and explore the water cycle in Diane’s fun water conservation tale: What Now, Cloacina?!! Check under Diane’s Wizard hat and you may find the secret potion that ends every Water Wizards performance with instant FOG!
Recommended for ages 4 and above.

Bells & Motley's musical storytelling performance is a Greek classic concerning the value of Dreaming, Digging In, and Doing! We all understand how our lives' pressing labors hang in a balance with the wonders of artistry and expression, through colors and sounds and dances. In our telling, we are confident that all will appreciate the carefully drawn moral concerning the value of both work & play.
As we weave the tale through Ant and Grasshopper’s year in four episodes, each scene begins with the appropriate movement of Vivaldi's 'Four Seasons' evocatively performed by the artists on harp, nyckelharpa, tromba marina, and winds. The action and mystique of the tale are further highlighted by the audiences’ contributions on medieval fiddles (researched and built by the artists themselves), percussion, and dancing. At the end of our maiden performance of this show, a young fellow excitedly asked: 'Where will we all be performing this next?'
Exploratory Expressions by audience+artists, before the performance:
-The Grasshopper's Fiddling Troupe
- The Ant's Percussion Troupe
- The Butterfly Dancers
And now, Dear Audience, Places!! Let the story begin as together we play and sing the 15th c. song of 'El Grillo' the Cricket!

Children squeal with delight throughout this traditional tale with a twist. Find out what happens when Little Red gets mixed up with Porquoi the pig who is in the wrong story. Complete with changing scenery, music and charming hand puppets, this show will have them ratting on the wolf and cheering Little Red to safety.

It’s the first day of Flight School, where they teach birds to fly. Penguin has the soul of an eagle and is ready to live on the wind. But he wasn’t built to soar, as the other birds constantly remind him. Penguin’s spirit won’t be grounded. With some friends of a feather, and a little help on the technical parts, Penguin follows his dreams to flip, flap, fly! With book by Cara Lustik, music by David Mallamud, and lyrics by Joshua H. Cohen, Flight School The Musical is based on the book Flight School from best-selling author Lita Judge.

(Self-esteem show)
As a motivational program for children, this presentation is aimed at boosting the self-esteem of every student in the audience. Students are brought onstage to assist and help perform the magic themselves. Magic, comedy and puppetry are combined to convey the following points:
The uniqueness of each child.
It’s not what’s on the “outside” that matters, it’s what’s on the “inside” that counts.
Persistence: Never giving up no matter what!
Why a positive attitude is important.
Program includes a section on the topic of bulling.
By the end of this show, your students will feel better about themselves while believing, at the same time, that virtually anything is possible for their lives.

A Tour of World Flutes with Tereasa Payne
Tereasa Payne, flutist, world-flutist, and woodwinds player, from NYC presents a program of 15 flutes from around the world. Audiences learn about and hear flutes from around the world while also learning a message about diversity and acceptance. Flutes included are from India, Romania, South America, Africa, Hawaii, Japan, China, Cambodia, and more!
Tereasa is a regular performer with Disney’s “The Lion King” where she performs on 13 of these flutes from around the world.

“CHILDREN SING AND CELEBRATE
AROUND THE WORLD!”
($450.00 per program) For Children and their Caregivers,
Ages 0 - 100! Children will learn about the great variety of
ways that people sing and celebrate around the world in this
45 minute to one hour long interactive program. Participants
will sing folk songs from America around the world and play
djembes, shakeres, balaphon, and other percussion
instruments from America, Africa, China, Latin America, and
Native America. They will explore the these five elements of
music rhythm,tempo, timbre, dynamics and melody as they
sing and make music from all corners of the Earth.
Children will also enjoy the musical instrument meet and greet
after the program where they can spend time strumming and
banging and really getting to know more about the
instruments from Ms. Ellison’s personal collection.

* Inclusion in this database does not indicate endorsement of any performer
or program by the NYS Education Department, the Office of Cultural Education, the NYS Library or the participating
library systems, nor does it eliminate the need for reference checks and appropriate standard screening procedures.